The Life in the Heart
by Oneturtledove
Summary: A series of unfortunate events that somehow work together to create a very nice ending.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did, there would be no MORE murders, and Booth and Brennan would be coffee friends. And more.

Spoilers: None that I am aware of so far.

A/N: This is going to be a longer story, Parker heavy. Hold on to your hats, folks.

* * *

"Hey Bones?"

"Hey Parker?"

"Have you ever seen _The Mummy?_ With Brendan Fraser?"

She tapped her pen against the paper and thought for a moment.

"I don't think I have. Then again, Brendan Fraser doesn't give me any clues as to what movie it is, so I could be wrong."

"But Bones," Booth started as he came into the room, wiggling his hips and batting his eyes. "Everyone who is anyone knows who Brendan Fraser is! He's so hot!"

"What's your damage, Heather?"

Booth just looked at her for a moment before his mouth even started to form a word.

"What?"

"Oh come on Booth. Didn't you ever see _Heathers_?"

"Not in this lifetime. I'm surprised you saw it. And remember something from it. And can insult me with it."

She just shrugged and went back to her paperwork while Parker, who had been totally confused about the conversation for the last moment, went back to eating his banana split. Booth moved to the window and opened it, breathing in deeply the smell of cherry blossoms and asphalt.

"Summer's coming," he said as a breeze caressed his face.

"Yeah. No more school, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks!" Parker cheered, leaning over to look out the window. "Know what happened today at school dad?"

"I don't know. Tell me."

Brennan looked up from her paperwork and smiled at the sight before her. The boys were staring intently out the window, Parker's nose pressed against the screen. She didn't understand the warm feeling that took her over when she saw them together, but she liked it.

"My friend Caleb brought some fake glasses and we all took turns wearing them. We switched every time my teacher turned around, and she got so mad that she cried!"

"Parker!"

"What? It was just a joke! We didn't mean to make her cry."

"Buddy, school is not the place for jokes like that. Bones, stop laughing."

"What? I find it not only a clever joke, but amusing that a teacher would be so insecure that something like that would make her cry."

"You're not helping."

"Sorry. Parker, your dad is right."

"Well… I still think it was funny."

Booth sighed and exchanged a look with Brennan who tried not to smile. Parker was more like Booth than anyone wanted to admit.

"Park, why don't you go finish your homework? It's getting late."

"Can I stay up a little tonight?"

"No, not tonight."

"But… Bones is here."

"Dr. Brennan, and we have work to do. And it's a school night."

"Okay, but will you play me in Wii Boxing before I go to bed?"

"Hurry up with your homework and we'll see."

Parker nodded and hopped down from the table, taking his bowl to the sink and dumping it in with a clatter. Booth rolled his eyes and sat down in the recently vacated chair, his foot brushing against Brennan's under the table. She looked up at him and he smiled.

"I'm sorry if we're a distraction."

"It's okay. You're a good distraction."

"Really?"

"At least an enjoyable one. If I was at home I would've started getting cantankerous."

"No one wants to see that."

"Russ always thought it was funny."

"Yeah well, he's got problems of his own. I'm going to clean up this kitchen and then start on my own paperwork. Which will probably kill me."

"That's not-"

"Possible. Yes, I know."

She just smiled and let the hyperbole go for now. She used to correct him for correctness' sake, but now she did it more to keep their banter flying. It was one thing she really loved about their friendship, though to the naked eye, it seemed trite.

* * *

An hour later she was sitting on the couch, amused by the fact that not only was Parker beating Booth in boxing, Booth was getting winded and sweaty. It wouldn't have been so funny if Booth wasn't a real boxer and didn't remind people of that so often. She fully understood the idea of eating one's words, but this was the first time she had seen it played out so clearly.

"Come on Booth, he's totally beating you!"

"It's different with a glove!"

"I'm not sure if this goes here, but… that's what she said."

They both turned and looked at her, their eyes wide and their mouths agape.

"What did you say?"

"I.. learned it from Sweets."

Parker giggled and turned back to the TV while Booth just shook his head.

"You're dangerous when you learn new things, Bones."

She smiled and watched them play for a few more minutes before Parker won the round and jumped up and down in victory.

"I beat dad! I beat dad! Bones, wanna play me?"

"Dr. Brennan, and it's time for you to go to bed," Booth said, turning the console off.

"Just five more minutes."

"Nope. Say goodnight."

"Could Bones tuck me in tonight?"

"If she doesn't mind."

They both looked over at her and she smiled.

"Alright, I'll tuck you in. If you promise to go easy on me when we play boxing later."

"It's a deal."

He ran off to his room and Brennan followed him, yawning as she went. This case had taken a lot out of her, and she wasn't eating or sleeping very well. One perk to doing paperwork here was that the rowdiness of the Booth boys kept her from falling asleep.

"Bones can you tell me a story?" Parker asked, pulling the covers up to his shoulders.

"What kind of story?" she asked as she yawned again.

"Any kind," he answered. "You could even tell me one you told me before if you want."

She laid down next to him, pulling his spare pillow under her head. She'd watched Booth do this before too, and she had to admit, this bed was very comfortable.

"Why don't you tell me a story first and I'll try to think of one too."

"Can I tell you a story about dad and Uncle Jared?"

"I would LOVE to hear a story about your dad and Uncle Jared."

"One time when they stayed with Grandpa Great on his farm they went into the cow field and they picked up dried cow poop. And they waited until night, and then they put some one the neighbors porch and rang the doorbell and ran away. And they did it to every house. And then they heard a police car comin' and dad made them hide in a bush, but Uncle Jared was crying because he thought they were gonna get thrown in the slammer. They called it "Ding- Dong- Ditching." They didn't get caught, but… Bones? Are you awake?"

"I'm 'wake, Parker."

"How come your eyes are closed?"

"I'm almost asleep."

"I guess I tucked you in."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead, just as his dad did for him. She gave him a half smile and struggled to open her eyes.

"Goodnight, Parker."

"Goodnight, Bones."

She stood up and left the room, shutting the door softly.

"Booth, I need a few minutes of sleep," she said, her feet dragging towards the couch. "Wake me in fifteen?"

"Sure."

He watched her lay down, then covered her with a blanket. She needed this rest so badly, and he had hoped she would sleep in a bed. The couch was the next best option. He'd agreed, but he didn't think he would be waking her any time soon.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Shorter chapter, but just had to do something I hadn't planned. Several more chapters to come…

* * *

Booth leaned against Brennan's desk, his arms crossed over his chest and his brow furrowed. In any other circumstances, him suggesting that she go home and take a nap would have been received with a sigh and shake of the head. But she hadn't slept in two days, she had a fever, and his tone wasn't really the best to begin with. He'd never seen her go from zero to screaming so fast.

"And why is it suddenly your job to tell me to go home? And why does everyone keep talking in hushed tones when I walk in? Did you tell them I had a headache? Are they doing this because I'm fragile or something?"

"Bones-"

"And why did you tell Cam that you think I should be taken off this case?"

"I didn't-"

"I am perfectly capable of handling this. I compartmentalize. Even Sweets agrees, and while I don't put much stock in his opinions, this time he's right."

"Oh, so you only give credence to opinions that mirror your own?"

"No. I just know what is the truth and the truth is that I can handle this. You're the one with the kid, you're the one who should be unstable right now. You should be the one taken off the case."

"Bones, a little girl was murdered and you're fighting about my concern for you?"

"Stop being concerned Booth! I'm fine. Go mind your own business."

"My own business? Remember that little deal we struck all those years ago? The one where we decided to be partners? I'm not sure how familiar you are with that word, but it means equals. Things go both ways. So when you worry about me, I get to worry about you."

"I find your tone condescending."

"Duh!"

"Now I find it infantile."

He let out a frustrated sighed and moved away from the desk and towards the door.

"You know what Bones? Forget it. I was just trying to show a little concern, but apparently I'm not allowed to do that. So forgive me for storming out now."

"Telling me what you're going to do kind of takes away the element of surprise, Booth."

"You are the single most infuriating woman I have ever met in my life! I don't even think I can look at you for at least a few days!"

He started out of the room, but she managed to get in the last word.

"Well that's too bad because I'm picking Parker up from school today so unless you don't want to see him either, you're going to have to deal with me again in a few hours."

She resisted the sudden urge to call out "Neener, neener, neener," like she had done to Russ so often when they were kids. She didn't know where the urge came from or why she even contemplated giving in to it. She shook her head as Booth stalked out of the room, his pace faster than normal.

He'd forgotten all about his meeting with Caroline and his subsequent request for a favor from Brennan. Rebecca was being sent on business trips a lot lately, and Parker was becoming more of a day to day responsibility. Without Brennan and a few babysitters to pick up the slack, Booth wasn't sure how he would do it.

He made his way down to his car, kicking the tire in frustration. He hated fighting with Brennan. He really, really hated it. But sometimes she worked her way so far under his skin, he wanted to pick her up by the scruff of the neck and boot her down the hallway. She could irritate him to no end with her constant picking and correcting and rationalizing.

And then she could soothe every single hurt, every irritation with one little smile or a pat of the hand. He could watch her tuck her hair behind her ear or concentrate on the computer screen or dial a phone with her slender fingers, and for just that moment, things seemed to still and soften.

He wasn't sure how she did it, or even if she was aware of it. Maybe that's what made it so endearing.

He sighed to himself and shook his head. He'd bring her some fries from the diner and they would make up, their relationship surviving one more day.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And this is the idea that started the whole story. Enjoy.

* * *

Brennan sighed and turned the air conditioner up, then rolled her neck until it popped. Maybe Booth was right. She was pretty tired, and she had even misplaced some photos yesterday that she meant to put in the evidence file. She'd found them eventually, but it was so unlike her to do something so unprofessional. She'd berated herself for a while about it, but in the end gave herself an out because she was tired and hungry and not feeling well. She had a strange pain in her stomach, her head hurt, and her muscles ached. She was apt to at least misplace something.

She pulled up to Parker's school and turned the car off, sighing deeply before getting out. She loved Parker, despite her lack of understanding on why, and she enjoyed spending time with him, but today, she didn't think she was up for his constant chatter. He was such an intelligent child, quizzical and eager to learn. She liked hearing his thoughts, even if his reasoning skills were still not fully developed. He sometimes did surprise her with things he said, the things he remembered, the way he could piece together facts almost before she could tell him things. She loved the way his eyes would get big and his words would mush together when he got excited about something new. He was just like his father.

She walked towards the playground where most kids waited for their parents. She could see Parker standing with his friends, all of them dressed similarly, their backpacks slung over their shoulder. She approached quietly, listening in on their conversation and squinting against the sun.

"My dad's taking me to the monster truck show," one of the boys said, obviously feeling quite superior as he shared that fact. The other boys grunted with jealousy.

"I went to that once. It stunk," another boy said. Brennan could tell that the comment was made out of one-up-manship rather than a sincere dislike of the monster truck show.

"My dad doesn't take me to monster truck shows, but my mom does," Parker said. "My dad takes me skeet shooting."

The boys chuckled with him at the thought of a mom at a monster truck show. Parker smiled and then spotted Brennan coming towards him.

"Bones!" he shouted running to hug her. "How come you're here?"

"Your dad had that meeting with Miss Julian."

"Are you takin' me home?"

"I'm taking you back to the Jeffersonian. Ready to go?"

"Yup."

He waved at his friends and walked with her to the car.

"Do you think Dr. Hodgins will be doing an experiment when we get there?"

"Maybe if we're lucky."

"Can I hang out in your office?"

"Sure."

"Can I play games on your computer?"

"No."

"You're just saying that because I almost have the high score in Pinball."

She just smirked as they got into the car. She let him sit in the front seat, even though Booth would have made him sit in the back. It was their own little thing.

"Today in science class we made tornados in soda bottles. Have you ever done that?"

"Yeah, a long time ago."

"I thought it was kind of boring, actually."

"I agree."

"We're done with our weather unit and now we're going to start learning about metamorphosis," he said as she merged onto the freeway. "My teacher got a bunch of caterpillars and they're in cocoons right now, but pretty soon they're going to be hatched."

She nodded as the pain in her stomach returned, shooting from her navel to her back. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, but the pain started to throb with her pulse.

"We're also going to learn about different insects and stuff and I thought maybe Dr. Hodgins could teach us about bugs on dead bodies."

"I'm sure he'd like that, but I don't know if the rest of the kids in your class would want to hear it."

"Well maybe he can just talk about bugs, like regular."

She took a deep breath again as the pain increased once more. Her lips started to tingle and Parker's voice got further and further away. Her ears felt hot and prickly, as if they were pinched in a vise. Very slowly, darkness crept into her vision and she started to panic, taking her foot off the gas and easing the car onto the side of the road.

"Parker, when the car stops I want you to put it in park. Then get my phone and call 911."

"Bones, what's wrong?"

"Do as I said," she muttered, unable to stop herself from passing out. She managed to get the car stopped and hear Parker turn it off before her eyes slipped closed.

"Bones? What happened?" Parker said, shaking her shoulder. He looked around for her cell phone, digging through her purse with one hand, while keeping his other hand on her shoulder. He found the phone and dialed 911, his eyes trained on her face while the call connected.

"Bones please wake up," he begged, his fear evident in his voice. "Please."

He shook her shoulder again, but she didn't move and he started to cry.

"Bones, please, please wake up. Come on. Please, please. Bones!"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I didn't know how aloof Sweets could be until I wrote this. Poor kid.

* * *

Seeley Booth was not a man who panicked. It just didn't jive with his personality to freak out over much. He was more level headed than that, stressing inwardly, but remaining calm, cool and collected outside. It was something he and Brennan had in common. They always looked at situations for a while before committing to a feeling about it.

But despite that personality trait, Booth was now completely panicked. Parker and Bones were at the hospital. The nurse who called him hadn't given him very much information, just told him to get to the hospital as soon as he could. Of course what this nurse didn't realize was that he had sirens on his car and "as soon as you can" translated to "as fast as you can" which translated to "85 miles an hour through DC."

He arrived at the hospital, parked in a spot that may or may not have been reserved for doctors, and ran into the emergency room. The desk clerk looked somewhat frightened at his loud entrance, but she quickly regained her composure.

"I'm looking for my son, Parker Booth. He was brought in with my partner Temperance Brennan."

"Your son is in the waiting room and-"

He didn't hear the rest of what she said because he turned around and ran down the hallway to the waiting room. Parker was sitting on a chair, dangling his feet while tears dripped down his cheeks.

"Parker."

His head snapped up and he launched off the chair, running across the room faster than Booth could kneel down to pick him up.

"Daddy! Where's Bones? Is she okay?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"I don't know, buddy. What happened?"

"She pulled the car over and told me to call 911. Then she went to sleep and she wouldn't wake up. They didn't let me go with her upstairs."

"Why did they take her upstairs?"

"For surgery. But no one told me why. They just said to wait here for you."

"Okay buddy, we'll go find her."

He held his son tightly as they made their way to the elevators. His heart was still pounding, but the cold sweat had stopped. Parker was okay, save for the tear tracks on his cheeks.

"Is she dead, daddy?" he whispered with a sniffle.

"She's probably fine, Park. Let's just go find out."

The elevator spit them out on the 8th floor and they walked to the reception desk, slightly calmer than Booth had entered the emergency room. They were told that Brennan was in surgery and to the doctor would come and find them in the waiting room. They resigned themselves to two chairs in the corner, and Booth called Cam to let her know what was going on.

"Daddy, is Bones dead?"

"She's in surgery."

"But is she gonna die?"

"Parker, I don't know."

"I don't want her to die. She's my best friend," he said, wiping his tears with his sleeve.

"I know, buddy. She's mine too."

They sat quietly, together, but apart. That's how the team found them when they got to the hospital several minutes later.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Angela asked, sitting down next to Booth. He just shook his head and continued to stare at the floor.

"Seeley?" Cam said, crouching down in front of him. "Has Parker eaten?"

"No."

"Do you want me to go and get him something?"

"How can you think about food right now, Cam?"

"I'm not thinking about food, I'm thinking about Parker."

He was quiet and she patted his hand, then stood up.

"Hey Park, are you hungry?"

"Not really," he said with a little shrug. She held her hand out and he took it, standing from his chair.

"Let's go for a walk down to the cafeteria. You could at least have some chocolate milk."

He nodded and followed her. Cam had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember, and while his bond with her wasn't that deep, her presence was comforting. They slipped out the door and down the hallway and the room was quiet again. Hodgins paced back and forth slowly, like a kid with no friend, wandering around at recess time. Sweets was standing by the door, his eyes trained on Booth, not able to stop the psychoanalyzing that was so automatic for him.

"She'll be fine," Hodgins said finally, nodding as if the statement brought her healing as it spilled from his mouth.

"She might not be," Booth argued.

"Don't think like that, man."

"I'm not going to pussy-foot around this. We don't even know what's wrong with her. She could have an aneurysm or a tumor or something they can't even figure out."

"She doesn't need your negativity, Booth," Angela said quietly.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"Booth."

"Just stop, okay?"

"He's using a defense mechanism, Angela," Sweets said finally. "Don't take it personally."

"Dude…" Hodgins started.

"What? He's preparing himself for what he feels is going to be a separation from one of the most important people in his life. It's a classical-"

Booth jumped up from his chair and pushed Sweets into the wall, pressing his arm dangerously close to the younger man's throat.

"That is Bones in there, not some case study. Get that through your head or get out."

Sweets just nodded and Booth let him go, crossing the nearly empty room and sitting down in a new chair.

Parker and Cam returned several minutes later, their arms full of bottles of juice, cookies and bags of chips. Parker looked slightly better as he opened a bag of jungle animal shaped fruit snacks and laid them out on the table. He proceeded to set them up just so, then acted out scenes from _The Lion King_. Angela reached over and began to play too, doing voices for some of the characters. Parker smiled and they played together for a while before he sighed and ate the fruit snacks one by one, his head resting in his hand. Angela rubbed his back gently and he gave her a little half smile.

The door to the waiting room creaked open and a doctor entered.

"Family of Temperance Brennan?"

Booth shot to his feet and stood in front of the doctor, not sure what to say.

"Are you the family?"

"I have power of attorney. What happened?"

"Her appendix ruptured. We think that she had a slow leak for a while and today in the car it finally burst. We managed to get it out, but she's septic."

"Can we see her?"

"In a while. She's been unconscious since she was brought in and she's very weak. She's not necessarily out of the woods yet. Once we get her situated you'll be able to go in one at a time."

Booth nodded and Cam pulled the doctor aside, asking him more specific questions about Brennan's condition, while everyone else just sat in relief. It wasn't a tumor, cancer, an unknown ailment. It was a freak event. Something that could be fixed. She'd be okay.

"Dad, I want to see Bones," Parker said, tugging on Booth's hand.

"I know, son. We'll go in a while."

"She's better, right?"

"She's getting there, buddy."

* * *

It was over an hour before they were let into her room. At first the doctors said Parker wouldn't be allowed in, but after some persuasion from Cam, they said he could visit her for ten minutes. Booth took him inside, reminding him to be quiet, and Parker stood by the side of the bed, his expression pensive. Slowly he reached out and took her hand.

"The lady on the phone told me to hold Bones' hand. I didn't let go until they made me," he said softly. "Do you think she thinks I left her?"

"No, buddy."

"I want her to wake up."

"Me too."

"Can I talk to her?"

"I think she'd like that."

Parker nodded and stared at her for a few minutes before he spoke.

"I want you to get better Bones. So you can take me and dad to that museum. Remember you said you would take us someday when you didn't have to work. So we can go as soon as you get better. And after that we'll get ice-cream because you and me like Rocky Road the best."

He rested his head next to her arm for a moment.

"Time to go, buddy," Booth said, crouching down next to him.

"I want to stay here."

"I know, but rules are rules. We're going to get some sleep and then come back in the morning."

"Will anyone stay with her?"

"Angela is going to stay tonight. Bones will be just fine."

"Okay. Goodnight Bones. I love you."

He gave her hand a squeeze and turned to walk out of the room. Booth leaned down and kissed Brennan's cheek.

"You've got to wake up, Bones. We need you."

He brushed her cheek with his fingers and wished he could look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry we fought, Temperance. Seems stupid now. Seemed stupid at the time too. I wish I could take it back. But we can talk about that later. I love you, Bones."

He kissed her cheek again and slipped from the room, longing to say those words to her sometime when she was conscious. Whether she rolled her eyes or not, he was going to say them. He couldn't let her go another day without knowing it.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Little peeved today. My brother posted some of his photography online and some moronic person passed it off as her own. That is stealing and plagiarism and I am so mad. I want to slap the wench across the face. You don't steal people's creations, things that have come from their heart and soul. You don't steal their writing, you don't steal their photography, you don't steal their sculptures or paintings or anything. Give credit where credit is due. Of course fan-fiction doesn't count as stealing. Rant over.

* * *

Angela ran her fingers through her still-wet hair, then scrunched it slightly, encouraging the curl to stay in. It was a nervous habit, one she didn't even realize she was doing. It had been a long night sitting by her best friend's hospital bed. She had left for a few hours to sleep and shower while Booth stayed with Brennan. They had worked out a good system in the last few days, but they were both getting tired. Now she was back and seriously thinking about suing the hospital and the makers of this chair for the years of chiropractor appointments she was going to have to succumb to.

She heard the door creak open and turned slightly to see Hodgins step in. He crossed over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently. Maybe she wouldn't have to go to the chiropractor after all.

"How is she?"

"No change, but her temperature is down. They think she'll wake up later today. She's just so weak from the surgery and the sepsis."

He nodded and rested his chin on the crown of her head.

"Are you okay, Ange?"

"I've just never seen her like this before. I mean since she started working with Booth she's been in her fair share of scrapes. But this… It scares me, Jack."

He crouched down next to her chair and tucked his finger under her chin, turning her to face him. Her eyes swam with emotion as they met his, and he brushed his thumb against her cheek.

"Ange, she's going to be okay."

"I know."

"Nobody is going to leave you."

Her head bowed and she looked at her fingers for a moment before her voice squeaked out barely above a whisper.

"Thank you."

They stayed that way for a while, as the sun rose over the city and birds chirped outside. Hodgins leaned over and kissed her cheek, and she turned her head slightly, catching him on the corner of his mouth. He smiled at her and stood up from the floor, his knees creaking with the movement.

"I need to get back to the lab. Call me if anything changes."

"I will."

He ran his finger gently over her hairline and she closed her eyes for just a second.

"I love you, Ange."

"I love you too."

He slid his hand down to hers and gave it a little squeeze before leaving the room. Angela turned her attention back to Brennan. She felt a little better, but then she felt guilty for feeling better, so she tried to just clear her mind and let herself feel whatever emotion came.

She could have been sitting there one minute or one hour when Brennan's eyes crept open. She looked around the room, her brow furrowed and her eyes squinting against the light.

"Ange?"

"Hey sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"Where's Parker?" she said suddenly, trying to sit up. "Is he okay? Did we crash? I need to see him."

"Sweetie, don't sit up. Just relax. Parker is just fine. He should be here with Booth any minute."

"What happened?"

"Let me go and get your doctor, okay?"

"Ange, what's wrong with me?"

"Right now, you're panicking. That's what's wrong. Just relax and I'll be right back."

True to her word, she returned less than a minute later, a doctor right behind her.

"Ms. Brennan, it's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"Tired and nauseated. My side hurts. What happened?"

"How long have you been running a fever?"

"Several days. I've had stomach cramps off and on as well."

"Your appendix had become inflamed and had a slow leak. That's what was causing the pain. You lost consciousness in the car because you had a high fever due to sepsis. We removed your appendix, but your peritoneum is still inflamed, so you're on medications to take that down."

"How long will I be here?"

"We want to observe you for another day at least. You were dehydrated and we're still worried about your fever. You've been out of it for two days, so we want to make sure everything is okay before we send you home."

She nodded, her eyes drifting from the doctor to the door.

"Do you have any other questions?"

"I can't think of any at the moment."

"Alright. I'm going to go and talk to the nurses about your pain management. Let them know if you need anything."

"Okay."

He left the room quietly and Angela sat down again. Brennan was staring at the door, as if sheer force of will would bring Parker through it. Angela had never seen Brennan so obviously anxious over something before. She'd watched as her friend worried about Booth, about Russ, about her father, but she always kept the worry off of her face. Now she needed to see Parker, to be reassured that he was okay. If she had been able, she would have been pacing.

"You know, Parker's been to see you every day."

"He has?"

"Booth brings him by in the mornings before school and then in the afternoon, and he sits up on the bed and does his homework or reads. He wanted to be here when you woke up."

"I'm sure Sweets would say that visiting me in the hospital is sure to scar his psyche for life."

"Actually Sweets said that it's a good idea for him to see you if he wants to."

"Oh."

"They've been coming by about this time. He's really okay, Brennan. Worried about you. He loves you, you know."

"He's fond of me, Ange."

"Bren, that kid loves you, and you love him. It's okay."

"I don't believe in that."

"Yes you do. You just don't understand it. Here's a news flash. Neither does anyone else."

"But I can't just-"

The door opened slowly and she looked up to find the boys she had been waiting to see.

"BONES!" Parker exclaimed, running into the room and jumping up on the bed. The jostling sent a pain through her stomach but she masked it as he crawled over and wrapped his arms around her neck. She hugged him back as best she could, feeling relief seep into her conscious.

"Are you okay, Parker? Are you hurt?"

"Nope."

"I didn't mean to scare you."

"I was only a little scared, I promise."

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his hair as Angela slipped from the room and Booth took her chair.

"How are you feeling, Bones?" he asked, sliding his hand into hers.

"I'm feeling exactly how I should feel."

He nodded at her answer, but knew from looking at her face that she didn't want to talk about it in front of Parker.

"I'm glad you're awake, Bones."

"And I'm glad you're okay."

He smiled and sat up, keeping a hold on her hand.

"Can we take her home now dad?"

Booth chuckled, his grip tight on Brennan's other hand.

"We will in a few days. But for right now we need to let her rest and we need to let you get to school."

"Aw dad, can't I stay here?"

Booth sighed and looked over at Brennan, who was looking pretty content with both of them here.

"I guess missing one day won't hurt."

"Sweet! Now Bones can help me with my homework!"

Booth just shook his head, his eyes meeting Brennan's and finding a small smile hidden there. It would take some time, but soon they would all be back to normal.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Just a transitional/filler chapter. Not sure where I'm going after this.

* * *

"Now, it's just one option," Booth said, his fingers steepling under his chin. "Cam and Angela and I can rotate so someone is home with you at all times."

"That's inconvenient, Booth," Brennan replied, shaking her head. Her dark hair slid over her eyes and caught the golden beams from the mid-morning sun that seeped through the window.

"I know you don't like it, but you can barely walk right now, and if something happened to you-"

"It's not that. It just seems like a lot of effort for the three of you. A lot of driving and rearranging schedules. Yes, I realize that I do need help. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the team for me to try and take care of myself, do it inadequately, and push back my recovery. I can't be out of work that long, so it's only logical that I take all the help I can get. This just seems like a round about way to do it."

"You don't mind someone taking care of you?"

"It's for the greater good. Look, I don't need someone there all the time, but I am going to need help getting around. Quite honestly, Booth, no one but you is going to be able to do it."

He just stared at her, wondering if she would change her mind about this once her painkillers had worn off.

"Let's be realistic. I'm home, I'm laying in bed, and I have to use the restroom, but I am still nearly unable to walk. Angela couldn't lift me, and as freakishly strong as Cam is, she's too short and would probably ram my head into a door."

"Ouch."

"Yes. Add to that the fact that the idea of either of them carrying me anywhere constitutes one of your high pitched "awkward!" noises, and you come out as the only one who can take care of me."

"I have learned three things from this conversation. One, you can rationalize anything, even if it goes against your basic instincts."

"You already knew that."

"Two, you ramble even more than usual when you're drugged up."

"You knew that as well."

"Three, I now have a hilarious mental picture of Cam running your head into a door that I will keep with me for years to come."

She grinned and shook her head again, her side aching with the simple movement. She would be going home in the morning, but the hasty incision left her with a lot of pain. She always thought about bones, but never really realized the muscles that were used for every day functions like sitting up or moving an arm.

Parker had been reading all about appendicitis, regaling her daily with little known facts, asking her about her pain levels, and standing on his tip-toes to read the labels on her IV bags. When he had asked her if she had any strange colored discharge from the wound, Booth had decided that there was such a thing as too much research, and had taken his books away. Parker was still unhappy.

It had really only been two days since she had woken up, but she was going stir crazy, and knowing that she would be going home soon only added to it. Hodgins and Angela called often to keep her up to date on pending things. Cam brought her a DVD set of _Planet Earth_ from the Discovery Channel which she was actually enjoying. Sweets had stopped by once, but had left quickly, knowing that she knew he was analyzing her. She wasn't sure what he was trying to learn, but her cutting gaze made him fully aware that it was not appreciated. She normally didn't mind being under the psychological microscope, but while she was in the hospital, she wanted nothing to do with it.

She and Booth hadn't talked about their fight. There was really no need to. It wasn't borne of anger or jealousy or even a plain old misunderstanding. They were both just stubborn. She wasn't mad anymore and neither was he. They spoke without talking, exchanging glances over Parker's head, or simply nodding knowingly at the same time. It didn't take much effort to communicate sometimes. He hated seeing her like this and he tried to hide it, but despite his best efforts, he cringed just a little every time he came into the room. She always saw it and pretended like she hadn't, but she knew and he knew she knew and mostly they just nodded it away.

She yawned a little and he glanced up at her, attentive now to every move she made.

"Need some sleep?"

"Yeah."

He helped her move so she was laying down, then brushed her hair away from her face. She wrinkled her nose and sighed, letting her eyes close.

"Your hair is tangled," he commented.

"I know. Stop pulling it," she replied, reaching up to push his hand away.

"Get some sleep. I'll be back after lunch and we can talk more about you going home."

"Will you sneak me in some fries from the diner?"

"No way."

"Why not?"

"You can barely keep toast down."

"Just one fry?"

"No, Bones."

"But… I really want it," she whined, giving him something sort of resembling a puppy face.

"No way, no how. But I can come back smelling like fries."

"I hate you."

He chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"See you later, Bones."

"Bye, Booth."

With one quick kiss to her temple, he was out the door, the scent of his cologne lingering just long enough to settle her into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

"I don't think I can stand much longer," Brennan whispered through gritted teeth as the elevator moved slowly to the fourth floor. The pain in her side was bad enough, but she still wasn't able to eat much and felt weak a lot. Her legs weren't doing a good job of holding her up.

"Just lean on me a little more," Booth replied, keeping his voice low so Parker wouldn't hear.

"I need to sit down," she replied as the elevator shuddered to a stop.

"Let me get you inside, okay?"

He kept one arm around her and fished in his pocket for his keys while Parker drug Brennan's suitcase down the hall to the apartment. She'd be staying with them for a few days, at least until she got some strength back. She'd asked Booth at least twelve times if it was okay, not a nuisance or a disturbance. He couldn't turn her away, no matter how hard it was going to be to take care of her without stomping all over her independence.

"Dad, I have to go pee!" Parker announced, bouncing from one foot to the other while the adults made their way slowly down the hall.

"Hold your horses, dude," Booth replied. Brennan tried as hard as she could to move faster, but soon sighed, resigning herself to the fact that a snail's pace was about as much as she could muster. They finally reached the door and Parker bolted in, dropping the suitcase next to the coffee table and running to the bathroom.

"You want the couch or the bed for now?"

"Couch is closer," she decided. They moved slowly and he helped her to sit down, and perched on the coffee table in front of her.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No. I just want to sit right now."

He reached over and felt her forehead which was cold but clammy.

"Want me to go to the drugstore and get your medicine?"

"No, I don't need it yet."

"You want some water or anything?"

"I'm really okay for right now, Booth. Really. I just need to… what do you call it? Have a breather?"

"Take a breather."

"Yes, that."

Parker came back into the room, climbing carefully onto the couch next to Brennan. He looked down at her hands, turning them over gently and touching the bruises where her IV lines had been.

"Does it hurt, Bones?"

"Not very much."

"Are you sure you're better now?"

"I'm not all the way better, but I'll get there."

"Yeah, me and dad will take care of you," he promised. "Right dad?"

Booth chuckled and sat down with them.

"Yeah, we'll take care of her. She'll be healthier than she was before."

Brennan just chuckled.

"Bones what do you want for dinner? I can make peanut butter and jelly. And grilled cheese if dad lets me use the stove."

"I'm not really ready for food, Parker."

"Well… can I get you a glass of water?"

She smiled, the soft spot in her heart that she had for him getting bigger.

"Sure."

He hopped off the couch and went into the kitchen and Booth chuckled.

"I thought you said you didn't need anything."

"Yes, I did. I changed my mind."

"Aw, you can't say no to my kid. I'm totally using that."

"Booth, you… I don't know."

"You're fading fast."

"Yeah."

She leaned back against the couch and tipped her head back to look at the ceiling and he followed suit, sighing as his hand brushed against hers.

"That was a close call, Bones."

"What?"

"You could have…"

"But I didn't."

"But if you had…"

"But I didn't, Booth."

He nodded and reached over to slip a strand of hair behind her ear and she closed her eyes as their skin connected.

"You need to go lay down in bed before you fall asleep here."

"I know."

He stood up and took her hands, gently helping her to her feet. She swayed a little and leaned against him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. They walked slowly and carefully to his bedroom where he settled her into the bed and slipped her shoes off, tucking the blankets around her.

"I hate being incapable," she muttered, her eyes round and watery.

"I know you do," he answered, sitting down next to her. "But it won't be long before you're capable again. You just have to suck it up for a little while."

"Thanks Booth. I think."

Parker entered the room with a full glass of water and set it on the bedside table, a good portion of it sloshing over the side.

"I got you lots of water so you don't have to get up and get any more," he explained. "But if you drink it all, just call me and I'll get you some more."

"Thanks, Parker."

He smiled and left the room while Booth stood up to close the blinds.

"I'm going to run to the pharmacy and get your prescription. I should be back in less than an hour. Is that okay?"

"Yes. I'll just be asleep anyway."

"Do you want me to get anything from your place while I'm out?"

"Can you bring me my laptop?"

"You're not working."

"No, I just have some kinks I need to work out before I sent this draft of my book to the editor."

"I said you're not working."

"It's not work. I enjoy it."

"Alright, I'll bring your laptop. Is that all?"

"I think so. Thanks Booth."

"You're welcome. Get some rest."

He patted her knee and stood up from the bed, slipping out the door just as her eyes were closing. He liked having her there, where he could look after her and make sure she was getting better. Even more than that, he liked the fact that she wasn't fighting this. She was trusting him enough to let him in when she was at her most vulnerable. The thought pitter-pattered across his heart and he smiled, wanting her to get better, but hoping this new facet of their partnership wouldn't go away.


	8. Chapter 8

She woke up a few hours later, reaching up to rub her eyes while trying to figure out where she was. It all came back to her when she heard two voices in the next room.

"And he said I have to fight him after school tomorrow. And I know that I'm not supposed to fight, but he called Payge mean names, and you always told me to stand up for people. So what do I do?"

Booth sighed.

"Well Park, I don't think I can tell you. I mean, I could tell you what to do, but this is something that you've got to figure out on your own."

"But what if I pick the wrong thing?"

"That's part of being a man. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts."

"What if I don't know what my instincts say?"

"At the end of the day, son, all you have to answer to is your God, yourself, and your integrity. I think if you keep that in mind, you'll know what to do."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Now go ahead and finish your homework, and I'm going to check on Bones."

She smiled when he entered the room and he looked happy to see that she was awake.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty sore. Kind of hungry."

"What do you want?"

"A milkshake."

"I don't think you're ready for that. How about some applesauce."

"That's a terrible compromise, Booth."

He smiled and touched her forehead, checking her temperature.

"Fever's still down," he said, letting his fingers glide over her face and through her hair. Never again would he take this woman for granted. She sighed and closed her eyes and he continued the action for a while, wondering if she would fall asleep again.

"I still want a milkshake," she said, opening her eyes. "You didn't make me forget."

"How about some yogurt?"

"Oh fine."

He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead before standing up.

"Hey Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"I heard what you said to Parker."

"Oh."

"You're a good father. A really good father."

He returned to her side, framing her face with his hands.

"You have no idea what that means to me, Bones."

"I think I do," she answered, noticing that he was tearing up. They stared at each other for a long time before he blinked and broke the contact.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

She nodded and he exited the room, leaving her grinning against the pillows. She loved making him happy, but more than that, she loved how much being a good father meant to him. It was everything. Her heart ached for that feeling. She wished her father had felt it, and she wished that someday she could love that intensely, even just for a moment, just to see what it was like. For now, she would enjoy the feeling of pride she got upon seeing Booth and Parker together.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Oh man, I am sorry for the long wait, for any of you that are still waiting. Not the ending I had in mind, but is it ever? Probably not. Anyway, enjoy the final chapter.

* * *

"You going to be okay here by yourself for a little while?" Booth asked, from the kitchen where he was looking for his sunglasses.

"Yes Booth. You don't have to worry about me, I'm just going to be sitting on the couch."

"I know but…"

"I'm fine Booth," she said, rolling her eyes and changing the channel again. "You're not going to be gone that long, I'm almost fully mobile now, and you need to get out of this apartment."

"You mean you need me to get out of this apartment so you can breathe."

"I can breathe just fine, Booth."

"No, I didn't mean literally. I just mean that we've both been cooped up together for almost a week. Figured you might want a little alone time."

"That might be nice."

"Thought so. I'm going to go and get your prescription refilled and grab some groceries and I'll be back by the time Rebecca brings Parker over. Want me to bring you anything special?"

"No, that's alright."

"Okay. Call if you need me Bones."

"I will."

He tugged on one of her curls before leaving the apartment. She sighed and sat back against the couch closing her eyes for a moment. Booth had been taking such good care of her without hovering or babying or even asking her how she was feeling every hour, and she was quite surprised that she was still willing to accept the help. Sure, she would rather be at home, but it was nice to know that there was someone else keeping track of when she needed her meds, someone to help her move around when her incision was too tender, someone to worry about all the little things so she could really rest. She wasn't sure how she felt about it being nice, but she figured it didn't really matter.

Slowly she stood from the couch and made her way into Booth's bedroom, where she had taken up semi-permanent residence over the last week. Her clothes littered the floor, her manuscripts littered the unused side of the bed, her laptop sat on the chair next to the bed and her bathrobe was the one hanging on the bathroom door. Surveying the room she concluded two things. The first was that she was very comfortable here. The second was that she was kind of a slob.

Bending down was still painful, so instead of picking up the clothes, she kicked them into a pile in the corner. She organized her papers and set them nicely on the bedside table, then straightened the blankets and pillows and cracked the window. Breathing in the fresh air, she smiled and went into the bathroom for a shower. It took longer that usual to waterproof her wound dressing as Booth usually took care of that. She sighed to herself, slightly embarrassed that she had let Booth do that. He wasn't a doctor and really had no business touching her bare stomach at least once a day, sometimes more. What it really came down to was her inability to bend correctly to see what she was doing, and then she just became used to it. Maybe for a while that was okay, but she was getting better and more capable, and there was no real reason to continue like this. She appreciated his help and she would never forget that, but it was almost time for her to go home.

She ignored her dull ache in her chest when she thought about going home and stepped into the shower. The water was cooler than she was used to, but it was refreshing, so she didn't turn it up.

She spent longer in the shower than normal, taking time to wash and condition her hair which was sometimes a luxury during normal working hours. Stepping out of the shower she turned on the bathroom fan to get rid of the steam, then slid into her robe. Her hair was still dripping so she wrapped it in a towel and made her way back into the bedroom. Amongst her clean clothes she found four pairs of socks, some underwear and one bra. Obviously Booth had just blindly grabbed things from her top drawer, which could have been endearing if it didn't mean she had nothing to wear. Sighing, she donned the socks and underwear, then surveyed the bra, trying to decide if she actually wanted to put it on. She sighed, letting decorum and the fact that Parker was coming over win out and fought with the thing until it was on.

"Now to find some clothes," she muttered, mostly because it was too quiet. She looked around the room and relegated herself to Booth's chest of drawers. She started at the bottom drawer, finding a mess of t-shirts that had seen much better days. Most of them were ripped and stained and she had a feeling he was keeping them for sentimental value more than anything. She pushed the drawer closed and moved on to the next one, where she found a Foreigner t-shirt. Smirking, she set it aside and went on a mission for pants. The next drawer held boxers in almost every print imaginable and she giggled despite herself, wondering why he would wear boxers with slogans on them if no one was going to see them. She finally found a pair of flannel pajama pants and slid them on, pulling the t-shirt on too. Feeling slightly more balanced, she went back out to sit on the couch. Halfway there, she heard a knock on the door. She went to it and peeked out the peephole, then opened the door.

"Hi, Rebecca," she greeted. "Hey Parker."

"Hi Bones!" Parker shouted.

"Hi, Dr. Brennan. Is Seeley here?"

"He had to go to the store. Should be back any minute."

"Oh," Rebecca said, biting her lip. "I'm running late, I was hoping he would be here to take Parker."

"You can leave Parker with me for a few minutes."

"Are you sure? I know you're still recuperating."

"It's not a problem."

"Alright. Parker, I'm going."

Parker rushed over to her, hugging her as tightly as he could.

"I love you."

"I love you too, mister. Be good."

"I will. Stay safe mama."

She kissed the top of his head and let him go, then slipped out the door.

"Are you feeling better yet, Bones?" Parker asked, tossing his backpack onto the recliner.

"Better than I was when you last saw me," she answered, sitting down on the couch. He climbed up and sat next to her, offering her a bite of his apple. She smiled and shook her head and he shrugged.

"How come you're wearing my dad's clothes?" he asked, wiping the apple juice off of his face with the back of his hand.

"Because I didn't have anything that was clean."

"Oh."

He finished the apple and set the core on the coffee table then turned to look at her again.

"How come your hair is wet?"

"Because I took a shower," she explained as he twisted a strand of her hair around his finger.

"Bones?"

"Yeah?"

"Could my appendix explode any time like yours did?"

She sighed and tried to figure out how to answer that question. She didn't want to scare him, but she didn't want to lie either. And she was certain she hadn't quite mastered the technique of sugar coating things that Booth had been trying to teach her.

"It really could happen to anyone, but the chances of it happening are slim. And most people don't get nearly as sick as I did. It's not something that you need to worry about, Parker."

"That's what dad said."

"He's done his research."

"I thought so, but I just wanted to make sure."

She smirked.

"I had a dream last night," he said softly, resting his head against her shoulder. "I dreamt that we were in the car again and I couldn't get it stopped fast enough and we drove into the river, and I couldn't get you out of the car and then you died."

"Oh Parker…"

"I woke up and I knew it wasn't real, but I was still pretty sad. I would be really, really sad if you died, Bones."

"I know you would be. I hope you never have to be that sad, Parker."

"But everyone dies," he said bluntly. "Maybe that's why there's heaven. So we don't have to be sad for as long."

She almost wanted to correct him, but couldn't bring herself to dash his hope, couldn't take away the values that Booth and Rebecca had instilled in him. She couldn't make him question his beliefs, not at this age. So she swallowed her instincts and chose a different path.

"Maybe you're right, Parker."

"Dad says you never let anyone else be right."

"Your dad is exaggerating. He's right sometimes."

"Yeah, but you don't like it," he teased.

"Your dad is in big trouble."

Parker laughed as the door opened to reveal the subject of their conversation.

"Dad, Bones says you're in big trouble."

"Oh really? What did I do this time?"

"Oh nothin'," Parker said with a shrug and a smile. "What's for dinner?"

"Look how smoothly he changes the subject. He's been around you too much, Bones."

She chuckled as the boys moved into the kitchen and started putting the groceries away. She couldn't hear their conversation, but she knew they were laughing, and she smiled to herself, loving the sound.

"Hey clothes stealer," Booth said as he joined her on the couch. She smiled as his arm went around her shoulders, and hesitated for just a moment before she leaned over and hugged him. Her smile was so big and uncontrollable that her face felt as if it might split in two, and for just a moment, she wondered what had gotten into her. It didn't take her long to realize that for the first time in a long time, possibly the first time ever, she felt really, truly alive.


End file.
